Sustainability for Tomorrow Abstracts

Date Released: Mon, 13 November 2017 13:22 +0200

Fifty-four postgraduate students shared their research at the postgraduate research conference held on the 29th and 30th of September. The conference, which had the theme: Sustainability for Tomorrow, began with a stimulating keynote by Professor Ahmed Bawa, who is CEO of Universities South Africa. Professor Bawa spoke of the need for research that simultaneously addressed social concerns and pushed back at the current anti-intellectualism prevalent in society. Dr. Sizwe Mabizela opened the conference and thanked the organizing committee for their work in making the event.

Organising Committee:

Justin Brown

David Gwapedza

Zweli Hlatshwayo

Sylvia Isreal-Akinbo

Mpho Mafa

Samkelo Malgas

Nobuhle Ndebele

Nnamdi

Nwahara

Both the VC and the DVC: Research, Dr Peter Clayton, attended much of the conference. The conference ended with awards for the best #Yourthesisinatweet entries:

You squish carbon to almost zero dimensions and it starts acting really weird #cpgs

Beautiful, benevolent, and soul restoring, nature waits for us to bring her home: urban greening in the Eastern Cape #cpgs

Amanda Manyani

The theme of the conference was “Sustainability for tomorrow” and throughout the two days we reflected on three key questions:

1) How does the postgraduate research at Rhodes University speak to the future?

In many ways, our future is in trouble: we have an economic system which has led to greater divides than ever before and we have social practices that are destroying our planet. On the other hand, knowledge continues to advance at an incredible pace and research is offering us a range of solutions which promise a more just and sustainable future.

2) What has to be challenged in the status quo to move us towards a sustainable future?

Our research does far more than offer each of us a qualification. It allows us to participate in a larger knowledge project. It is our contention that this knowledge project must always be driven by a desire for a more just and sustainable future.

3) How does our research contribute to the future in a post-truth era?

There is an increasing rejection of expertise in favour of populism. In this context, it is essential that researchers such as ourselves contribute towards a just and sustainable future in ways that are accessible and meaningful. We have to be bold advocates of knowledge sharing.